


Wouldn't Dream Of It

by ziamxo



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:23:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziamxo/pseuds/ziamxo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey,” Zayn begins. “Let me have your number, yeah?” He’s suddenly freezing because—really, Zayn? Really? “I mean.” He begins again, “We should have playdates again. I was—you know, number so that they can— the dogs—“</p><p>"The dogs, yeah. Of course. Can't dare separate them again, can we?" Liam responds with a grin and it's within a beat that he takes out his phone.</p><p>"Right, no. That'd be bad."</p><p>"Absolutely horrid." Liam grins, pressing buttons onto the phone within his hands.</p><p>"We'd be monsters."</p><p>"Evil villains." Liam goes on, looking up at Zayn with raised eyebrows and cheeks pulled up.</p><p>"I--yeah. That. Can't have that, can we?" Zayn laughs, handing Liam's phone back to him.</p><p>"Nope, not at all."<br/>Or the AU where Liam and Zayn adopt twin puppies, but separately. And when they meet and realize their dogs are litter mates, they use it to their advantage. For their dogs. Not for them, no.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wouldn't Dream Of It

**Author's Note:**

> This was a drabble that I wrote up on Tumblr a few months ago after I saw an ask about it so I'm just bringing it on over here, don't mind me :)

"Kovu,  _c’mon._ Home is the other way, will you just—” 

If there was one thing Zayn has long learned since adopting his six month old black and white husky puppy is that once Kovu has his mind set on something, it’s set.

The young pup is slowly but surely learning to walk on the leash at his side rather than tugging but it’s more than evident that a scent has caught Kovu’s attention and the young pup won’t let up. 

"Kovu, ‘m gonna be late to  _work.”_ He tries again as he tugs at the leash which is clipped to the purple harness around the pups body rather than something like a collar which would only end up hurting the puppy. But again, it’s not like Zayn is using all of his force at all (the pup is only twenty-five pounds at his age). No, just a simple tug and that  _usually_ does the trick. 

Except this time it doesn’t.

Exhaling a breath and looking at the watch on his wrist, Zayn stares over at the puppy, determined to follow whatever scent he’s caught with a floppy tongue hanging out of his mouth. “ _Fine._ But if I get fired, it’s on you.” 

He follows Kovu for no more than a minute before Kovu’s nose lets up from the ground, eyes staring ahead. Zayn’s been too intent on watching the puppy’s body language go from rigid and sure to suddenly pulling, his hind legs supporting his front paws all while Kovu begins to yap away.  

Zayn looks up at whatever could’ve possibly grasped the pups attention and—  _oh._

There’s a young attractive male, no younger than Zayn is, with a leash trailing down at the pup at his own side who’s caught off guard, looking over at the nuisance that is Kovu before the other pup is joining in on the frenzy. The male not even twenty feet away from him kneels down to his pup who nearly mirrors the image of Kovu (aside from the markings and coloring, but that’s beside the point). “Who is that, Kov?” Zayn asks his puppy but Kovu is far too intrigued with the pup up ahead to give a care as to what Zayn’s after. The owner of the replica of Kovu is trying to quiet his pup down and Zayn  _should_ be doing the same, but, he’s curious. “C’mon, let’s go check that out.” He speaks out to the pup, again, with no mind being paid to Zayn whatsoever.

Kovu gets more than excited at seeing the proximity between the two dogs pulling and pulling and he’s seriously got to learn some manners because there’s no way Zayn’s going to be able to hold him back once he’s an adult weighing in at more than forty pounds. “Is it alright if Kovu—“ Zayn calls out but gets interrupted midway.

“Yeah,” The other male breathes and Zayn nods, taking a couple more steps forward, “It’s okay.” 

"I’m sooo sorry, mate." Zayn laughs out nervously as Kovu heads straight towards the pup, smelling the other dogs’ behind as they go in circles familiarizing themselves with one another.

"It’s alright," the other male responds with a far more casual laugh as he loosens the leash while he watches the scene unravel before them. "Liam.” He smiles with his hand extended out towards Zayn.

“Zayn.” Zayn smiles in return, taking his hand and shaking it, the grip nothing but firm.

“Beautiful husky, mate. How old is he.. she?” Liam questions, eying the pups.

"He." Zayn watches Kovu jump over the grayish with white pup that can’t be more than six months as well. "And he’s around six months, nearing sevenish.”

"What?" Liam asks. "No way! That’s the same for Benji!"

Zayn raises his eyebrows with another laugh that doesn’t sound like he’s sorry for his dog’s behavior. He’s looking over at the obvious stance of the dogs, the coloring on the two dogs distinctive when it came to comparing Kovu’s black and white markings to Benji’s light grey to grey coloring. It’s when Kovu growls playfully with his jaw opened as Benji hops around the other puppy’s body only to turn his body around before Zayn is able to take sight of Benji’s eyes. One brown, one blue. Another comparison to Kovu’s crystal blue eyes. It’s either a coincidence that they look so vaguely alike and are near the same age or there’s something more here. “Where’d you get him from?” Zayn can’t help but ask curiously.

"Uh, my friend actually got him from the pound. Said he had a difficult time choosing between the twins but he couldn’t—“ something seems to click inside of Liam. “Fuck, did you get him at Noah’s No Kill Shelter?”

“I did!” Zayn responds and he has to stop himself because, woah, okay,  _chill a bit, Zayn, yeah?_

“Oh no. Did Louis really separate them?” Liam looks distraught with his lower lip jutted out just enough as he looks back down at the puppies and Zayn can’t help but think  _is that even fair?_ Because, really, Zayn can see the muscles packed on his arms, Nike tank top fully exposing him and—it’s just not fair. That’s all of what Zayn settles with, brushing away any further thoughts thoughts.

“I guess? I don’t know, Kovu was all alone when I first found him, so possibly? How long have you had him for?” Liam asks as Kovu goes up on his hind legs, trying to get Liam’s attention.

And that he does as Liam kneels down, scratching behind Kovu’s perked up ears.

Benji clearly doesn’t like that his owner is paying attention to Kovu rather than him because he’s growling as he nips at Kovu’s hind legs in retaliation.

Kovu whimpers as he falls back, but he’s panting happily in a nano-second before running after Benji in the space the leash allows them to go.

“Nearing three months and two weeks, you?” Liam asks, settling himself on the green grass and Zayn can’t help but follow, eyes unsure whether to glue themselves to the pups or Liam in front of him.

He settles on Liam for the time being.

“Just barely three months, actually.” He nods, laughing (and then groaning) as the puppies run over his lap, just barely missing his unmentionables. Looking down, his eyes catch his watch and suddenly it’s no longer fun and games.

“ _Fuck!”_ Zayn exclaims as he’s pulling himself up and off of the grass.

“What is it?” Liam asks with quick concern, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, no, I’m—fuck, I’m so sorry. I’ve got work and my shift is about to start— I’m so sorry, mate.” It’s all rushed and how it was even coherent to Liam baffles Zayn.

Liam’s pulling himself up with the leash still in his hand and, “Hey,no. It’s cool, mate. Go on, don’t get fired.” He breathes out a laugh, but it’s not meant to be in a mocking type of way. If anything, it feels like Liam’s trying to reassure him that he probably won’t.

Except Liam wouldn’t know that, now would he?

Still, Zayn laughs just enough before he’s nodding and looking down at the puppies who are still having the time of their lives reuiniting.

“Hey,” Zayn begins. “Let me have your number, yeah?” He’s suddenly freezing because— _really, Zayn? Really?_ “I mean.” He begins again, “We should have playdates again. I was—you know, number so that  _they_ can— the dogs—“

Liam looks far too amused and Zayn wants to be mad but he’s far too embarrassed with the flush of his cheeks and neck.

Thankfully he doesn’t turn a different color of pigmentation when he blushes or else Zayn would be absolutely mortified.

"The dogs, yeah. Of course. Can't dare separate them again, can we?" Liam responds with a grin and it's within a beat that he takes out his phone.

He hands it over to Zayn and Zayn exhales out a breath interlaced with a laugh as he hands his own phone to Liam, "Right, no. That'd be bad."

"Absolutely horrid." Liam grins, pressing buttons onto the phone  within his hands..

"We'd be monsters."

"Evil villains." Liam goes on, looking up at Zayn with raised eyebrows and cheeks pulled up.

"I--yeah. That. Can't have that, can we?" Zayn laughs, handing Liam's phone back to him.

"Nope, not at all."

Zayn is still a bit embarrassed of his previous behavior but he thanks Liam nonetheless because he _really_ needs to get going. 

Liam muffles a laugh between his hand with a small wave as Zayn picks up Benji before— _fuck_ , wrong dog.

Liam just continues to keep the back of his hand against his mouth and Zayn really can’t help himself as he reaches for  _his_ dog. “Go on, laugh at the terrible father that I am to my child.”

Liam finally laughs, eyes crinkling over looking so fucking adorable and Zayn's breath did _not_ just hitch, alright?—“You’re fine. Happens in movies all the time, right?”

“Being switched at birth or taking someone else’s dog?”

Liam shrugs his shoulders and laughs, clearly enjoying Zayn’s demise more than anything.

“You suck.” Zayn glares as Kovu whines before he tries to lick Zayn’s face and it should be weird how comfortable Zayn can’t help but feel around Liam but. It’s something about the other male,  _something_ he can’t pinpoint because it usually takes a while for people to even get this playful, comfortable side of him.

“Only if I’m asked nicely.” Liam comments nonchalantly before Liam’s abruptly covering his mouth. “That wasn’t supposed to come out.”

“I—“ Zayn is surprised, yeah, but more than that, he’s holding back a laugh because of the mumbled words Zayn managed to decipher to a T. “I’m gonna spare you and not make a further comment to that. But I’m going now. _Kovu,_ stop biting me you brat.” And he’s finally on his way and right now he may be walking casually and calmly but the minute he’s out of Liam’s view, he’s got to rush his way on home.

“I’m really sorry about that!” Liam calls out, forcing Zayn to turn his head as he continues his walk forward.

“Mate, it’s cool! Just text me to make up for it, yeah?” Zayn laughs before grabbing Kovu’s paw and waving it over his shoulder. “Don’t wait too long or Kovu might have your head!”

Zayn hears Liam’s laugh as he keeps walking forward which only provokes a smile.

“Wouldn’t dream of it!”

-o-

Zayn’s rushing around the restaurant, picking up after a table when he feels the vibration in his back pocket. He looks up at the clock and there’s ten more minutes until his shift is up.  _Great._ He ignores the text until there’s another vibration and Zayn only has so much self-control. There’s a compression in his chest that only increases when he verifies who it’s from  _liam + benji._

He hears a cough and is abruptly snapped out of his little moment, pocketing his phone away and not even looking at who it’d been as he continues with his work.

Those ten minutes quite possibly are the slowest of his life but the minute they’re up, Zayn’s shrugging off his work attire and throwing on a hoody in the bathroom and it’s there that he opens up his phone that the smile immediately spreads up his lips.

**_Benjis missin his broooo!! Really wants to see him. txt me if ur up for it! Lp_ **

**_Oh and bp :)_ **

Zayn grabs his work attire off the counter and rests it inbetween the inside of his elbow as he exits the bathroom, both hands on his phone typing away.

“You’re pathetic.” A familiar voice comments before Zayn’s turning all as he’s getting whipped by a towel.

“What the fuck’d I do?” Zayn exclaims, quickly going over to Niall and catching him in a headlock with his phone tightly gripped in his hand.

Niall groans through a laugh as he pushes Zayn off of him only to get reprimanded by Jessica, one of the cooks, to take it outside.

“You and your dopey arse smile. Was it that Liam kid? Bet it was that Liam kid.”

“Shut up.” Zayn says as he's already got his eyes set on his phone, responding to Liam’s text. 

_up for it. kovu and i will be there in twenty? Zjm. :) x_

“Benji just wants to see his brother, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Uh…huh. Wanna tell me how Liam Payne speaks dog? Or you with Kovu for that matter?”

“Mate—they were separated at birth.”

“Yeah,  _four_  months ago.” Niall reminds. “Exactly  _how long_  are you two gonna use that ‘my dog’s missing his brother, come over’ excuse, hm?” Niall questions, holding the exit door open for Zayn before following after him.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Zayn responds as he pulls his beanie from his hoody only to place it firmly on his head.

“Yeah, yeah. You never do. Just remember this.” Niall stops abruptly, forcing Zayn to stop as well to face him.

“Hm?”

“That  _I_ get to be the best man. Not Kovu or Benji or whoever the fuck.  _Me.”_

Zayn scoffs as he pushes Niall, “Fuck off.” He says through Niall’s laughter.

It’s extremely difficult to fight off the stupid smile from his face, but somehow, he manages.

At least for a good five seconds.

-o-

“I think we should take them out camping.” Liam suggests one day on a warm summer evening as he walks next to Zayn with minimal space really, through the park.

Zayn makes a face as he turns over to face Liam and its inevitable when Liam turns to face him as well.

“What? I’m serious, Zayn. We should.” Liam’s eyes turn back towards their year old pups whom are walking in synchronization, all lean and proud with a powerful stride in their walk in front of them.

“Camping.” Zayn reiterates, with his right shoulder brushing up against Liam’s left. “Where exactly?”

“I don’t know. Just. You know, somewhere far from here—“

“You’re not going to turn into an ax murder on me, are you? I’ve seen far too many movies to know how this goes.”

“Zaaayn.” Liam moans, which only has Zayn grinning in return, watching as Liam’s switching the leash from his left hand on over to his right.

“I’m joking, Leeyum.” Zayn laughs, letting a hand run back through his hair before it’s back at his side and he almost freezes,  _almost_ does so when he feels Liam’s fingers brush up against his own.

Benji’s got a tongue hanging out of his mouth while Kovu’s sniffing the ground all while Zayn’s brain mentally short circuits, the smile long gone because it’s been four months since they’ve been stepping over the issue at hand—Zayn’s issue anyways.

Liam doesn’t say anything else on the way home, at least not to Zayn, instead breaking the closeness and patting Benji’s hind leg once Liam’s apartment is within sight. He turns over to Zayn with a grin before the,“Race you to the kitchen.” And he’s gone with Benji leading the way like the true sled dog his genes had been for. Kovu barks out of excitement, pulling at the leash and Zayn immediately has to step in. “ _Kovu, stop.”_ Kovu turns and barks at him before whining and watching his brother and Liam quickly get further and further away from them.

“Fucking hell.” Zayn whispers underneath his breath before breaking into a run, Kovu happily increasing his speed. There’s no way Zayn’s catching up to Liam and Benji. Liam’s known for being an avid runner and Zayn’s, well, let’s just say he prefers doing anything but.

By the time that Zayn’s running up the stairs to the building complex, he stops at the second flight, letting go of Kovu’s leash because he trusts his dog enough to know he’ll go straight towards his brother and into Liam’s apartment. “You,” Zayn gasps as he takes a step up the stairs, “are trying to kill me, Payne!”

He hears Liam’s laughter a story up and Zayn might just kill Liam for it.

When he’s in front of the door, the dogs are still lapping up at the water in the kitchen and Liam comes out with a water bottle extended out for Zayn. Zayn snatches it from Liam with a glare in his eyes all while Liam looks nothing but smug. “You fucking cheated. You don’t get to give me that face.” Zayn grumbles as he puts a hand out in what was supposed to push Liam away but the sturdiness of Liam’s abs keep Liam from budging.

Zayn doesn’t let his mind wander; instead, uncapping the water and taking a long sip. Once the bottle is back down to his side and Zayn lets out a satisfied breath of air, he can’t help but catch the look that Liam’s giving him and Zayn would be lying if that didn’t spark something in him.

“So, camping?” Zayn has to ask because he feels small, feels like something’s shifting in that moment and he needs a distraction.

“Uh,” Liam starts up, blinking rapidly, “what about camp—oh, yeah. It’s okay, we don’t have to.”

“You said it’s for the dogs, yeah? Like, I’m sure Kovu will have fun.” Zayn tries because he feels a bit bad. You know, not letting his dog have fun just because he doesn’t partake in outside activities too much. Not because, like, of Liam or anything. No. Nothing like that.

“It’s okay,” Liam waves off. “We can do something else that they’ll find fun.” The tags around the dogs’ collars sounds as the two dogs make their way to their owners, though, Kovu’s grown a habit of jumping up on Liam.

Thankfully, Liam’s never minded but Kovu isn’t the same pup he was four months ago. He’s nearing fifty pounds but as Liam had said one too many times  _It’s nothing I can’t handle. Benji sleeps on me all the time._

_“Exactly how long are you two gonna use that ‘my dog’s missing his brother, come over’ excuse, hm?”_

Niall’s words from two months back return to him at Liam’s comment on the dogs and  _their_ fun.

When exactly were they gonna stop using an excuse to see one another? Or had that just been Zayn? Was Zayn the only one abusing the fact that his dog was a litter mate of Liam’s hanging out with Liam more times than he did with Niall or Harry or anyone else in between?

“Uh, Liam?” Zayn questions, though he’s rubbing the nape of his neck. This is such a risky move he’s about to take but he’s going to approach it as best he can in the most general way in case Liam, you know,  _doesn’t_ see Zayn as anything as a friend. He’s gotta make this look as casual as possible.

“Hm?” Liam hums out, one last scratch to Kovu and another to Benji before he’s standing upright once again and the dogs are out of sight and heading back to the kitchen, probably.

“You think—uh.” He stops,  _focus, Zayn, it’s not a big deal. Not at all whatsoever._ “Think we could go out and do something? Like—without the dogs, I mean.”

Liam has furrowed eyebrows but they smoothen over as he seems to grasp what Zayn’s suggested. “Just—you and I?”

“I—yeah. Like, yeah. Just us.” Zayn stammers. “We could catch a film? Or—dunno. Go eat somewhere where we don’t have to eat in our cars for once, like—“

“Like a date?” Liam responds cautiously, stopping Zayn.

And what does Zayn say to that?

“Um. Well, like—if—if you want? I—” He exhales a breath; he’s panicking and this isn’t supposed to be this difficult.

“Do you want?” Liam asks with his furrowed eyebrows back at it again, head tilting just barely off to the side.

“Me? Um.”

“Because if you do, then so do I. But like, if that’s not what you meant, then. You know, we don’t—I don’t want to make this awkward in case I misunderstood.”

“No, no!” Zayn immediately responds, hands up in his defense with the water bottle nearly slipping out of his grip. “I—I  _want_ that. I just, I wasn’t sure if we have been on the same page? I mean, I’m still not sure if I’m being completely honest, but. Uh—wow, this is stupid. I’m so fucking bad at this.”

Liam takes a step further and it’s like it’s far too close and not close enough for Zayn. There’s heat still radiating off of him from the run and there’s a very thin blanket of sweat on his forehead but Zayn’s never seen anyone look this attractive after that long run they’d endured.

Fuck. He can’t even fathom what  _he_  might look like that instant, however.

“I want that, too, Z.” Liam reassures as he places both hands on Zayn’s shoulders. “We’re on the same page, I promise. Why do you think I tried to hold your hand back out there?”

Zayn stops for another time that day as his hands remain off to his sides.

“You look surprised.” Liam notices, “Why?”

Zayn’s honestly too distracted by the way Liam Payne’s mouth moves to even follow up to what he’d just asked. So when his eyes find Liam’s again, he’s blushing and hanging his head because. “It’s stupid. Just—never thought you’d think, like. You know. Me and you, type of thing.”

“Do I honestly look that dumb?” Liam questions, eyebrow raising as he makes a dumb (completely adorable) expression. “Because I’d have to be  _insanely mad_ not to know that you’re kind of everything I’ve been looking for.”

Zayn blinks up at him and there’s a beat before both of them simultaneously snort at that.

Liam’s hands drop from Zayn’s shoulder with one covering his mouth. “I’m sorry,” He mumbles, “I don’t know why that came out.”

Zayn’s far too endeared with all that is Liam Payne, honestly.

He shakes his head bashfully and a thought passes through his mind.

In that moment as he’s contemplating whether to go for it or not, Liam drops his hand and he looks just as warm as Zayn feels on the inside.

Zayn leans forward with the goal to kiss at Liam’s cheek but (to Zayn’s assumption) Liam gathers what’s happening and moves his head so that in the end, their lips are meeting.

Liam breathes in as he takes a step further, hands resting up against Zayn’s hipbones and Zayn’s arms are placing themselves up against Liam’s biceps as they deepen the kiss. One of Zayn’s hands trails further up within the kiss and is left cupping at Liam’s jaw, lips parting at Liam’s request and it’s not when they hear a howl that they find themselves laughing mid-kiss before parting.

Turning towards the sound, Benji is stood on one of Liam’s couches with paws up on the arm rest, still howling a storm away while Kovu is running over to them with his tongue hanging from his mouth before he’s on his hind legs, trying to get Liam’s attention once again.

“Think he’s trying to tell us that he accepts me for you.” Liam laughs, letting go of Zayn and having to deal with the dog with the big paws who might be a little into dancing.  

Zayn turns over to Benji and he laughs even more so at the continuous howling. Zayn calls him over and Benji easily complies, jumping off the couch with a thud sounding. He, unlike Kovu, doesn’t even try to get on his hind knees and instead puts his head underneath Zayn’s hand, asking for a couple ear scratches.

Turning over to Liam who’s mirroring Zayn’s exact facial expression, all big grins and light laughter, Zayn speaks, “Think we’ve each got their seal of approval.”  

~

**_think what they really meant with that was ‘fucking finally’. Whatever. im still the best man. those two are gonna have to fight me for it if it comes down to that._ **

**_oi shut up, ni. youre waaay too ahead of yourself. we aren’t getting married any time soon._ **

**_yeah, yeah. still my spot. don’t forget it._ **

_Wouldn’t dream of it._

And it’s in Liam’s voice that he remembers those words. Setting the phone back on the nightstand, Zayn turned on over (with difficulty thanks to the not one but  _two_ sleeping Siberian huskies at the foot of the bed) before wrapping his arms around Liam’s back, hooking his chin over Liam’s shoulder. He smiles to himself before covering it up as he presses a chaste kiss to Liam’s bare shoulder before exhaling a breath of contentment.  

_Wouldn’t dream of it._

/fin


End file.
